O'Neill
by The Reel Lifer
Summary: Why is Jack so favored by the Asgard? A whatif? story. GEN.


Title: O'Neill  
Author: DoctorV  
Rating: PG  
Pairing: None  
Category: Challenge Response, Episode Related, Humor, Sap  
Season/Episode: Past Time, The Fifth Race  
Spoilers: Thor's Chariot, The Fifth Race, The First Ones, Revelations  
Warnings: Brief mention of genocide, I guess.  
Summary: Response to the challenge "Why is Jack so favored by the Asgard?"  
--------------- 

The hail, when it reached him, came as a surprise. 

_"Oh merciful Thor, if you cannot find it within your all-knowing wisdom to save us from these monsters, at least protect my child. Please, I beg of you."_

The message was on a loop, obviously having been recorded on one of the Asgard-protected planets and sent out so that any passing Asgard would receive it and respond. The mention of monsters was worrisome and, wondering if perhaps the Goa'uld had breached the treaty, he tracked the hail to its source and hurried to its originating planet. 

---------------

The monsters, as it turned out, were a tribe of Unas who had caught a disease that drove them mad and incited them to attack a small village of transplanted Tau'ri. After laying waste to the village, they in turn attacked each other. The few Unas who survived those attacks had quickly succumbed to the disease and died. 

The only survivor of either of the two races was a small, bundled up Tau'ri baby in the middle of the Hall of Might. 

Bright brown eyes staring up at large black eyes, the lone survivor of an entire planet yawned at the Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet. 

---------------

The Asgard had long ago eliminated the need, or ability, to procreate through meiosis, so the baby was something of a novelty to Thor. He remembered the time before they had begun cloning, of course, but even then he had spent little time caring for young. 

Picking up the bundle, Thor examined the strange pink creature curiously, reaching out a long finger to touch a chubby cheek. The baby grabbed his finger, examining it with equal curiosity, then stuck it in his mouth to gnaw at with toothless gums. 

The Tau'ri were indeed a strange race. 

Thor removed his finger, holding it up to look at the saliva-covered digit, then wiped it on the baby's blanket. It was then that he spotted the symbols embroidered on the cloth. The baby's name, he assumed. 

Yawning once more, the child snuggled against the arms holding him and fell asleep. Making his decision, Thor beamed back aboard the _Mjollnir_, leaving behind the carnage of the baby's ruined homeworld. 

---------------

Thor was the Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet. The entire fleet, not just part of it. He was a leader among his people, someone admired and respected. And he was a damn fine pilot, to boot. 

Babies had never been an important part of his job. Or even, for that matter, factored into it at all. 

Now that he had the child on his ship, he was at a loss as to what to do with it. However, Thor's current mission was to transport a scientist to a new research station, so perhaps he would have some insight into the care of a young Tau'ri. 

"Thor?" Speak of the devil... "Why have we stopped?" 

"I was responding to a hail from one of the protected planets, Heimdall." Thor responded, turning to face the scientist. 

"Is there a problem?" Heimdall took in the presence of the baby and hurried forward. "What do you have there? Oh! It's so small. An infant Tau'ri, Thor? Won't it be missed?" 

"There is no one to miss it." Thor said, then briefly related the events leading up to the baby's presence aboard the _Mjollnir_. 

Heimdall peered solemnly down at it. "Poor thing. May I hold it?" Relieved to turn the matter over to someone with a better potential to understand it, Thor gently handed the baby to the scientist. 

Much to Thor's amazement, rather that studying the Tau'ri, Heimdall cooed and fussed over him, crooning an ancient Asgard lullaby to the enthralled child. Gurgling a laugh, the baby reached up to poke at the scientist's mouth. "Oh how precious!" 

Thor shook his head and turned to the ship's controls, setting them back on course. 

"Oh Thor," Heimdall said suddenly, looking up from the baby, "what is its name?" 

Pointing to the symbols on the blanket, Thor said, "I call it O'Neill." 

---------------

At Heimdall's request, Thor slowed the ship enough that planets could be pointed out to the baby. "And there's Yggdrasil. Perhaps some day you'll go there. The trees are quite amazing." 

"You cannot keep it, you know." Thor reminded him. 

"Why not?" Heimdall asked practically. "Perhaps one day O'Neill could act as a liaison between the Asgard and the Tau'ri." 

"I doubt very much that is likely, Heimdall. It should be raised among its own people." 

Heimdall held the baby close, looking at Thor pleadingly. "I'm sure it would not be difficult to raise O'Neill among Asgard. I could teach it! And we know enough about the Tau'ri that we could teach it of its people as well." 

"It would be cruel to keep it from its own kind completely." Thor replied firmly. 

"I could take it visiting!" Heimdall protested. 

"You and I both know your research would not leave you enough time to take O'Neill to other planets." 

"Then perhaps you...?" Heimdall's voice and expression turned hopeful, then fell into resignation at Thor's look. "I know. I just wish..." 

"As do I, to some degree." Thor agreed, nodding his head slightly. "O'Neill is not without its charm." 

"It's so tiny!" Heimdall gushed, playing with one of the baby's hands. O'Neill obligingly curled his fingers around one of Heimdall's. The scientist promptly cooed with delight. 

This only helped to reinforce Thor's belief that Heimdall was a bit flakier than the average scientist. 

---------------

After some discussion, it was decided that O'Neill would be taken to the Tau'ri homeworld. 

"I believe they're calling it 'Earth' now." Heimdall chimed in. A look from Thor suggested this was superfluous information and was neither wanted nor needed. Heimdall went back to fussing over the baby as Thor changed course. 

---------------

"There it is, O'Neill." Heimdall murmured, holding the baby up so he could see the planet below. "Your new home. Isn't it beautiful?" 

Suitably impressed, the child stared down at the Earth in fascination. 

In the background, Thor began running scans on it. 

---------------

"Are you sure?" Thor asked, holding the baby again. 

Busily fiddling with a control panel, Heimdall glanced up briefly. "Positive. It is a small anomaly. One he shares with a very small portion of the population. It could cause no more trouble than if he had been born with it on this planet." 

Thor nodded shortly, preparing to beam down. "Very well." 

"Wait!" Heimdall hurried forward, leaning in toward the baby, who was showing signs of falling asleep. Cupping the baby's cheek, he whispered, "Be well, little one." Tilting his head to look at Thor, he said wistfully, "Do you think he will remember us?" 

"Perhaps." Thor mused. "Though he will likely dismiss it as fantasy." 

"Yes." Heimdall agreed, a trifle sadly. 

Hugging the baby close, Thor disappeared in a flash of light. 

---------------

It was with heavy hearts that Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill returned home from the doctor's office. After their second miscarriage, they were facing the fact that they would probably never be able to have a child. 

What awaited them on their doorstep put to rest their questions of adoption. 

Watching from a distance, Thor smiled to himself as the couple fussed over and cuddled baby O'Neill. 

---------------

Thor watched the recording of a noticeably older O'Neill tumbling end over end through the Stargate, feeling something like paternal pride. 

The Tau'ri spoke simply, honestly, and eloquently. It seemed he _had_ become a liaison of sorts between their two races, despite Thor's assurances that they would likely never see him again. What were the odds, after all? 

As O'Neill stood up in the recording, Thor wondered with amusement how Heimdall would react when he found that the tiny, adorable Tau'ri baby from all those years ago was now easily twice the size of the average Asgard. 

-----

Because someone asked, let me clarify. The "anomaly" Heimdall mentions is the "ATA gene." The thing that allows certain people to use Ancient devices. 


End file.
